Be Careful What You Wish For
by strangertrack
Summary: in prog Kamui sells his soul to a wish-granter to break up Seishirou and Subaru. When his ploy to win Subaru turns awry, will he be able to fix things or will it get even worse? AU, TB/X crossover. Yes, crossover.
1. Chapter 1: The Contract

PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X _both_ occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.  
  
  


**Be Careful What You Wish For  
Chapter 1: The Contract**

  
  
The door was made of solid metal, cold to the touch. Kamui hesitated, withdrawing his fingers, and then knocked.  
  
Instantly, a small panel roughly two inches tall and five inches wide opened and curious eyes peered out. "Yes?"  
  
Kamui stepped back. "Uh... is this where I can... uh... get my Wish fulfilled?" he asked, feeling somewhat idiotic.  
  
The panel closed and Kamui was left to stand in the alley alone, wondering if he had fallen for yet another of Sorata's lame jokes. But before he could contemplate leaving, the door opened and a figure in white stood before him.  
  
It was difficult to tell what gender the person was. He/she had short hair — white, strangely enough — but fashionably arranged so that it could have suited a girl. The clothes were also non-gender specific, and baggy enough to hide the figure beneath. A long scarf adorned the outfit and trailed behind the wearer.  
  
"Are you male or female?" Kamui finally asked, unable to discern for himself.  
  
"I am Nataku," he/she said in reply, voice also giving no hint in either direction. "I just am, as my master Wishes me to be."  
  
Okay, so not human. Kamui blinked, then nodded. It wasn't important. "And is your master the one that grants Wishes?"  
  
"Yes," it answered, moving aside. "Please, come in." Kamui stepped in and Nataku closed the door behind them, sliding what sounded like heavy, reinforced steel bolts into place.  
  
The only source of light was the candle Nataku held and it was moving rapidly away from him, down the hallway. Kamui hurried to follow, tracking the gleaming white clothes to avoid running into things in the near-dark.  
  
There was no conversation as they traversed past closed doorways that were briefly illuminated and then disappeared within the shadows as soon as the two passed. Down the stairs they went, and twisted around more corridors before Nataku came to a halt, Kamui stumbling almost into him.  
  
"Here."  
  
Kamui looked from his guide to the closed, unmarked door in front of him, marvelling that Nataku could distinguish one from the other.  
  
"Your Wish is in there."  
  
And then Nataku strode down the way they had come, leaving him completely alone and in the dark.  
  
Kamui reached out and fumbled along until he felt the smooth contours of the doorknob. Filled with unexplainable dread, he stood there, wondering what the hell he was doing.  
  
Maybe he should go back. He thought back to the number of different paths they had encountered on the way here, and decided that he couldn't find his way back, even if he wanted to. So really, there was no option but to go forward.  
  
But still, he hesitated.  
  
_Pull yourself together_, he told himself firmly. _It's not like Satan himself is behind this door._  
  
Giving a small shake of his head at the ridiculous thought, he swung the door open and entered.  
  
He was faced with darkness. Almost disappointed by the lack of drama, Kamui let out a quiet sigh.  
  
Multiple lights flared up and he jumped, turning around frantically to find the source. Torches that lined the walls of the rather spacious room flickered cheerfully, even as the door slammed shut behind him.  
  
"Welcome." Kamui's eyes grew wide as he turned ever-so-slowly toward the smooth low voice that greeted him, expecting the worst.  
  
A handsome boy — a mere boy! — met his gaze with amusement.  
  
"Y-you're?"  
  
"Expecting something different?" the boy purred, planting a leg casually over the arm of the throne he was perched upon. One elbow rested on the other and his chin was propped up by the attached hand. There was little other furniture in the room, save for a few decorative pedestals that held ornate vases with colorful bursts of flowers. Kamui wondered if they were fake. Surely, nothing could bloom so beautifully in this dark, windowless room.  
  
It was a rather gloomy place otherwise, practically screaming medieval torture. Kamui eyed the manacles and chains hanging in a corner distrustfully.  
  
"I... don't know what I was expecting," Kamui admitted as he refocused on the boy. In contrast to his servant, this boy was dressed all in black, the clothes clinging to him like second skin. His eyes were a strange shade of red, fixed with an eternal cat-ate-the-canary gleam. But despite the sinister appearance, he looked young, only a few years older than Kamui.  
  
_And hot_, his mind supplied, _very, very hot_. Kamui flushed and looked away.  
  
"So, Kamui," the boy purred, startling him. He hadn't told him his name, so how did the boy know it already?  
  
"You're in love. But the object of your affection is happily occupied with someone else."  
  
"H-how did you know?" Kamui asked, extremely unnerved. He took an unconscious half-step back.  
  
The boy smiled. "It's my business to know." He closed his eyes and ran a thumb gently over his lower lip, looking sensual and inviting with his body sprawled out so carelessly.  
  
Kamui felt himself flushing even more and berated his body for acting so strangely. True, the boy was extremely attractive, but Kamui wasn't so superficial to want someone based solely on looks.  
  
"Can you help?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Kamui stepped back forward, eyes brightening.  
  
"Th—"  
  
The boy held up a hand, halting his words of gratitude. "Of course, there's a price."  
  
Kamui faltered and slumped his shoulders. "Of course," he agreed resignedly. "But I'd do anything to see Seishirou and Subaru broken up... so that I could have the chance to be with him." Him being Subaru, quite possibly the most caring, perfect individual to grace God's green earth.  
  
"That's a good attitude to have."  
  
"So, what's the price?"  
  
Kamui could swear he felt a chill in the air after his question. The boy's smile widened even more as he replied breezily, "Oh, the usual. Your soul."  
  
"My what?!?!"  
  
The boy hopped off the throne in one smooth movement and made his way toward Kamui. Stopping a few feet away, he smiled disarmingly. "Well, you want the guy, right? You can get your Wish and look, the soul isn't collectible until after your death, when you won't need it anyway."  
  
"I... guess..."  
  
"Great!" The boy clapped. "Yuuto! Bring over the paperwork," he called out.  
  
A swirl of water shot up from one of the vase and spiraled down next to them, forming into a congenially smiling blond man. He held out a sheaf of paper clipped to a board and a pen, tip pointing to himself.  
  
"You need to sign here, here, and here, Shirou-san," Yuuto said, indicating the spots. Kamui took the proffered pen and bit his lip.  
  
"Go ahead," the boy said encouragingly.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Kamui quickly scrawled his name. He braced himself for pain as the deal went through, like he had seen in _The Little Mermaid_, which he'd seen with the Sumeragi twins years ago. Not that he was an anorexic teenaged girl pining over an unreachable love or anything. He was a _boy_, damnit, no matter how many straight guys mistakenly hit on him.  
  
But it seemed paperwork was dull and inocuous even in this magical realm.  
  
He watched as Yuuto took back the papers and filled in the some of the blank spots. "Now you, Monou-san," he announced, handing it over.  
  
Kamui read the upside-down letters as the boy signed messily.  
  
_Monou Fuuma._  
  
"Everything seems to be in order," Yuuto said in satisfaction.  
  
"Uh... is that all?" Kamui asked faintly.  
  
"If you can wait a minute, I'll fetch you a photocopy to retain for your own records."  
  
"Um. Thanks."  
  
Fuuma just smiled.  
  
  
tbc...  
----------  
September 30, 2002 


	2. Chapter 2: Damn Slow Bureaucracy

THANKS TO: **panatlantic** (and yes, people do read author profiles) and **Aya** for replying. After weeks of trying to force out a serious X fic and giving up, this idea came out of nowhere. I'm glad you guys like it.  
  
PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X _both_ occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.  
  
  


**Be Careful What You Wish For  
Chapter 2: Damn Slow Bureaucracy**

  
  
Much to Kamui's disappointment, he didn't get to see Subaru the next day.  
  
He got a phone call while he was poking through his closet, vaguely wondering why it took so long to pick his clothes every morning when they were all the same.  
  
"Gomenasai, Kamui!" Kamui could almost see Subaru bowing over the phone and smiled a little, even though he had no idea what his friend was apologizing over. "A job came in this morning and it looks like it'll take all day."  
  
"Oh," Kamui said, trying to hide his disappointment.  
  
He didn't quite succeed for Subaru started apologizing profusely once more.  
  
"I'm really sorry." *bow bow* "I know we were planning on going for ice cream afterschool but I can't put this off."  
  
Kamui forced a cheerful note into his voice. "Don't worry about it."  
  
The one time he had managed to arrange to get Subaru away for himself, ruined. Was there no justice in the world? He had literally signed away his soul for this boy, damnit and he didn't even get one hour of his time. Maybe if he was possessed, his mother would hire the head of the Sumeragi for his exorcism and he could finally get in some quality time. Now how did you go about advertising to evil spirits roaming around?  
  
"I could pick up your assignments and drop them off tonight," Kamui offered hopefully.  
  
"Ah, thank you, but Hokuto's doing it for me. We have all the same classes anyway."  
  
"Oh." Kamui grabbed one of his ubiquitous school uniforms from the hanger and shut the closet.  
  
"Maybe some other time?"  
  
"Yeah," Kamui agreed listlessly, tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder as he pulled on his pants. With his luck, something else would come up, like Seishirou proposing and sweeping Subaru away for a lovers' retreat. Kamui quickly banished the thought.  
  
"I-I should leave to catch the train." Subaru said awkwardly, unable to find a graceful way to end the call.  
  
"I can drive you, Subaru-kun," a voice piped up from the background.  
  
"Se-se-seishirou-san!"  
  
Kamui ground his teeth, phone gripped tightly to his ear as he strained to catch the side conversation. To his mind, it was awfully suspicious that the veterinarian was over at Subaru's place so early in the morning.  
  
"You don't have to. What about work?"  
  
"I'll just close today. It's no trouble at all." Here the voice got louder and clearer, which could only mean that the speaker was closer to the phone on the other end. Closer to Subaru.  
  
"Anything for my Subaru-kun." There was a slight pause and erratic breathing as Subaru had a coronary attack. "Besides, I want to get you alone, so I can ravish you. The back of the van is quite spacious."  
  
Subaru squeaked and there was the distinct thump of a body hitting the floor.  
  
"Ohohohoho! You go, Sei-chan!" Hokuto cheered, shrill laughter joined by Seishirou's deeper one.  
  
Kamui burned a hole into the wall with his glare, as Seishirou and Hokuto were currently unavailable. He would have glared at the phone if he wasn't afraid of missing a single word.  
  
"Se-se-seishirou-san! Hokuto-chan! I'm on the phone," Subaru protested weakly.  
  
"Just kidding," Seishirou was saying. "Now then, shall we go?"  
  
"Igottagobye!" The normally polite Subaru hung up without waiting for an answer.  
  
Needless to say, Kamui was not a happy camper. Ten minutes later, he was back in the alley from the night before, pounding at the door.  
  
"FUUMA! Let me in, you lousy bastard. It didn't wo—ERK!"  
  
Kamui fell inward as the door abruptly opened.  
  
The girl neatly sidestepped to avoid being crashed into, then gave him a boredly superior look from behind her glasses.  
  
"Fuuma is unavailable," she said flatly. "Try back at night."  
  
"I need to talk to him NOW," Kamui insisted, getting back up and planting himself well inside the doorway.  
  
She flashed him an annoyed look and crossed her arms. "Tough. You can't."  
  
"I have business with him."  
  
"Lots of people do."  
  
"Well, mine's important."  
  
"No more so than anyone else's," she countered.  
  
Kamui changed tactics and decided to go for the softer approach. "Please, it'd mean a lot to me. Couldn't you go ask Fuuma if he would see me? Tell him it's Shirou Kamui." He lowered his long lashes and looked up coyly at her, pretty violet irises striking against black. It was a look that few could resist, male or female.  
  
She was unmoved. "Well, _Kamui_," she stressed the name with sarcastic importance, "I don't care who you are. You. Have. To. Wait." She punctuated each word with a jab at his chest.  
  
"Damnit, let me see him! Fuuuuumaaaa! FUUUUUUUMAAAA!!" he shouted in impotence, sinking to his knees.  
  
"Leave, you!" The girl tried to shove him toward the door but he was firmly anchored to the ground, continuing to wail her boss's name. He clutched at her leg as she kicked at him and clung.  
  
"Stupid humans, all the same with their petty problems," she mumbled angrily as she shook her leg, trying to get him off.  
  
"FUUUUUUUUUUMAAAAAAAAAA!!!"  
  
Before she could commit homicide, Yuuto appeared.  
  
"Satsuki-chan, tea's ready," he said in his usual affable manner, seemingly oblivious to the ruckus near the door. Then he did a quick double take and extended his smile to Kamui.  
  
"Ah, Shirou-san, back so soon?"  
  
Kamui latched onto him, causing Satsuki to shoot him an even more murderous look than she had been before.  
  
"I have to speak to Fuuma RIGHT NOW. My Wish didn't come true because Seishirou and Subaru are still together and Subaru's going to get ravished in the back of Seishirou's van and I don't even get to have ice cream with him," Kamui explained in a rush.  
  
There was silence as the other two tried to absorb this.  
  
"Well then, would you like to join us for tea?" Yuuto asked blandly.  
  
-----  
  
Five minutes later, Kamui found himself in a different room, settling down to tea at a small round table obviously set for that purpose. A wider desk sat in the corner, three neat stacks of paper of varying thickness sitting on the edge. A pen and few loose documents spread out directly in front of the vacant swivel chair, and Kamui deduced that Yuuto had been working on them before taking this break.  
  
"This room is...?"  
  
"My office," Yuuto confirmed, taking a judicious sip, saucer poised beneath the cup in what Kamui thought was an extremely prissy manner. "Satsuki-chan, how's your tea?"  
  
Satsuki nodded her acceptance — it wasn't quite enough to be approval — as Kamui let his eyes wander over to the king-size bed, made with red silk sheets.  
  
"Why do you need a bed in your office?" he asked, not really caring but feeling as if he needed to contribute to the idle chatter called small talk.  
  
"For another type of business," Yuuto said cheerfully. "Although I like to use it for pleasure as well." He winked conspiratorially at Satsuki, who turned from scowling to beaming in nanoseconds.  
  
Kamui blanched. This was going nowhere.  
  
Carefully, he scraped back his chair and stood, so that he could loom over the other man, even if it was only by a couple of inches.  
  
"Can I see Fuuma now?"  
  
"I already TOLD you—" Satsuki started impatiently.  
  
Yuuto smiled gently at her and stood as well, walking over to the desk. "As you can see, Shirou-san, we get a lot of requests." He deftly plucked a page from the largest stack and scanned it quickly. "This one was made two months ago, and it's still pending."  
  
"Two months?! I can't wait two months!!" Kamui cried in outrage. "Who knows what can happen in the meantime. I don't know about you but I don't trust men in their mid-twenties trying to bed down teenagers."  
  
Yuuto exchanged a look with Satsuki and coughed discreetly.  
  
"Of course, that's only one example, Shirou-san. Others have taken as little as four days. And I assure you, your case is top priority."  
  
"Fine. I'll wait," Kamui growled, slumping back down into his chair. _As if I have a choice._  
  
"Cookies?" Yuuto offered placatingly.  
  
Kamui took one shaped like a heart. "Thanks," he said grudgingly.  
  
  
tbc...  
----------  
October 4, 2002 


	3. Chapter 3: Dreams of Sakura

THANKS TO: **panatlantic** (repeat reviews are good! they let me know people continue reading), **Kuro Hoshi** (i'm actually a huge sei/sub fan. they are the most perfect yaoi couple), and **marian** (no offense taken. i often get the urge to kick kamui away from subaru and cheer for seishirou-san).  
  
PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X _both_ occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.  
  
  


**Be Careful What You Wish For  
Chapter 3: Dreams of Sakura**

  
  
It was lunch time on CLAMP campus. Kamui and his friends were gathered in their usual spot: a nice, grassy area behind the main building that they had claimed as their own in the beginning of the school year. Today, they were sprawled out on the large checkered picnic blanket that Kotori had thoughtfully brought, chatting and swiping each others' food.  
  
Kotori was offering homemade onigiri to Kamui, who took one and thanked her distractedly; Sorata was flirting with Arashi and being steadfastly ignored; Hokuto was tearing into her lunch with single-minded determination; and Yuzuriha, the youngest of the group, was munching on a variety of oil-laden and chocolatey snacks which didn't seem to affect her weight or complexion in the least.  
  
Even Subaru was back after a day's reprieve to recover from work. He sat quietly, staring up at the sakura trees that shaded them and lost in thought.  
  
Kamui noticed and scooted closer to him. "Is anything wrong?" he asked, lowering his voice and leaning toward Subaru so that no one else could hear.  
  
Subaru shook his head slowly, not as an answer to the question but rather to clear whatever thoughts had been occupying his head. He looked at Kamui, hesitant. "I've been having these dreams..."  
  
Kamui nodded encouragingly, thrilled at being held in the reserved boy's confidence.  
  
"The details get fuzzy once I wake up, but I remember sakura petals falling... and..." Subaru closed his eyes and scrunched his forehead in concentration, "an older boy."  
  
Upon hearing the "older boy" bit, the first thing that came to mind was Seishirou. Kamui scowled, hoping that sakura wasn't symbolism for anything sexual.  
  
"I'm really young," Subaru continued shyly, "and I have a feeling I should be scared, but I'm not. And when he reaches out and touches me... I feel like... like I'm complete. Like I've been going around with a piece missing, without even realizing it until that very minute."  
  
During his speech, a warm smile from the recesses of his heart graced his lips, and gloved hands stole their way to cover his heart.  
  
Kamui was silent, unable to think of anything appropriate to say.  
  
"The boy... he's so familiar," Subaru mused thoughtfully. "It's as if I've known him all my life." He blinked his eyes open and started to chuckle nervously.  
  
"Ano, you must think I'm weird now," he blushed, poking at his neglected lunch.  
  
"No, not at all," Kamui said, now jealous of this dream boy on top of Seishirou. He wanted to ask if it could be him that Subaru was dreaming about, but he somehow doubted it. His luck had always bad when it came to the beautiful Sumeragi heir.  
  
"That sounds so romantic!" Yuzuriha stopped munching on her chips long enough to exclaim.  
  
"Yes, it does," Kotori seconded, shooting a longing look at Kamui. "I think that boy must be your soulmate. The one just for you." She sighed wistfully as she failed to catch Kamui's eye.  
  
Subaru jumped, then pulled down his hat so that the brim covered his red face. He hadn't even noticed that the individual conversations had died down as everyone stopped talking to listen in.  
  
"Ne, Subaru," Hokuto nudged, "Do you think that boy is Sei-chan?"  
  
"Hokuto-chan!"  
  
"Well you two are awfully close," she grinned cheekily. "Inseparable, you might say."  
  
"You spend even more time with him than I do," Subaru shot back. It seemed the only person he could stand up to was his twin, and the resulting arguments were always amusing to bystanders.  
  
"Ohohoho! Is my precious little brother jealous?"  
  
"N-no!" Subaru stuttered. "Seishirou-san is allowed to spend time with whomever he wishes. He could move in with—" Subaru groped for a name, "—Sorata for all I care."  
  
Everyone laughed. "Hey, why me? I'm straight."  
  
Subaru bowed his head. "It was the first name that came to mind," he said apologetically.  
  
"Well, I much prefer the company of a beautiful young lady than some old man," Sorata sniffed, feigning offense, and put an arm around Arashi to illustrate his point.  
  
She rolled her eyes at the blatant come-on and smacked him, even as Subaru said defensively, "Seishirou-san isn't old."  
  
"I wouldn't mind having a guy like Sei-chan. He's sexy. Even if he _is_ old," Hokuto said teasingly. "Ne, guys, did you know that Subaru spent a whole night with Sei-chan? Just the two of them, unsupervised—"  
  
"It was for a job!"  
  
"—on the observation deck of Tokyo Tower!" Hokuto turned to everyone else. "And you know that's the popular spot for lovers. I'm pretty sure they weren't sleeping the whole time. At least, not in the conventional sense," she amended with a suggestive lift of her brow.  
  
"How obscene. I never expected Subaru-san to be the one-night stand type," Arashi murmured, reforming her opinion of the seemingly shy, modest teen.  
  
"N-nothing happened!" Subaru denied, wishing he didn't feel so guilty.  
  
He was telling the truth. Nothing _had_ happened, at least nothing like what Hokuto was implying.  
  
He reddened as he recalled being held in Seishirou's arms, the older man sweeping him away from danger just as his barrier had broken. Even in the heat of danger, Subaru had been unable to keep from noticing how good-looking Seishirou was, or how safe and protected he felt. He had been disappointed when he had been put down, and secretly pleased beneath the mortification when Seishirou steadied him by putting an arm around him, drawing him close. And then the hand had slid down lower, fitting the inward curve of his waist perfectly, the electrifying touch burning its heat through the thin fabric of his shirt...  
  
Subaru's vision glazed over as he relived the moment. He gave no response even when Yuzuriha stuck out her hand in front of his eyes and waved it around.  
  
"He's gone," Sorata announced the obvious.  
  
"Hmph. That's no fun," Hokuto grumped. "I wanted to poke some more fun."  
  
The bell rang then, signaling the end of lunch.  
  
Everyone grumbled good-naturedly as they picked up their belongings, tossing garbage into nearby bins and calling out their goodbyes.  
  
Kamui lingered and gave Subaru a light shake.  
  
"Subaru, it's time for class," he informed, when Subaru returned to the present.  
  
"Oh, right. Thanks."  
  
Kamui helped him up.  
  
Then, large green eyes fixed on him with sudden intensity and Kamui felt his pulse race. He palm, still clasped to Subaru's, was sweating and he was thankful for the gloves that served as a barrier.  
  
"Can I ask you something, Kamui?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
It was impossible to refuse Subaru anything under normal circumstances, and even more so with that sweet, pleading look Subaru was directing at him.  
  
"I have... feelings... for someone I've known for a while now." Subaru faltered, trying to phrase this delicately while still making his dilemma clear. "I wasn't sure if I liked him just as a friend or something more, but I know now that I'm in love."  
  
Was this finally his Wish come true? It had only been two days since he had visited Fuuma but then again, Yuuto had said his case was top priority.  
  
"How can I help?" Kamui leaned toward Subaru imperceptibly.  
  
"I'm not sure if the feelings are returned. I mean, I think they might but I'm not really good at telling those sort of things." Subaru looked adorably confused, and Kamui resisted the urge to jump him right there. "Should I take the risk and confess, at the risk of losing friendship?"  
  
"HELL, YES!"  
  
Subaru jumped at the too eager response.  
  
"I mean, yes, you should," Kamui said firmly. "If you're honest with your feelings, things can't go wrong."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
Kamui nodded, and the next thing he knew, Subaru was hugging him. "Thank you, Kamui. You're such a good friend."  
  
Then, he pulled away.  
  
"I had my doubts but now, I know what I should say to Seishirou-san."  
  
"Se-se-seishirou-san?" _Wow, I sound just like Subaru_, a detached part of Kamui's mind noted.  
  
A faint blush spread across Subaru's face. "Hai. He asked me to meet him at Ueno Park afterschool and... I think I'll tell him then."  
  
Then modesty overcame him and Subaru bowed, one hand plunked on the top of his hat to prevent it from falling. "Have a nice day!"  
  
Kamui watched him leave.  
  
"I hate my life."  
  
  
tbc...  
----------  
October 6, 2002 


	4. Chapter 4: DOA? What's That?

THANKS TO: **yamatoforever** (doubly so!), **Subaru Sumeragi**, **Agent420**, and **woah**. And yes, Kakyou is too precious to throw away.  
  
PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X _both_ occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.  
  
  


**Be Careful What You Wish For  
Chapter 4: D.O.A.? What's That?**

  
  
Research essays not only meant a lot of time and effort, they were boring beyond belief. Kamui hated history and saw no point in learning about what had already passed. He was much more interested in the future; more specifically, his possible future with Subaru.  
  
But failing the tenth grade and becoming a high school dropout wasn't a viable option, especially when one factored in the heat he'd get from his mother, so Kamui found himself at the local library on a beautiful Sunday afternoon while all of his friends were presumably out having fun.  
  
This particular assignment was to be done in pairs, and while Keiichi was smart and conscientious and didn't mind doing all of the work, his one stipulation was that Kamui had to physically be there with him the entire time it took to do the essay.  
  
"Here, hold this, Shirou-kun." Keiichi dumped a large stack of books in Kamui's arms and disappeared once more.  
  
Kamui lugged them over to a table, depositing them with the others that had accumulated. Figuring that Keiichi would take another fifteen minutes before returning, he wandered over to the small, much neglected occult section.  
  
He skimmed over the titles, picking out a couple about onmyoujitsu that he hadn't read yet and cradling them in his arms. What had started as an attempt to understand Subaru's work — and thus Subaru himself — better, had become a personal hobby. Kamui had to admit it was a fascinating subject even without an ulterior purpose.  
  
Then, a thick volume on general spell and witchcraft caught his eye and propping the other books on an empty space on the shelf, he pulled it out. He scanned the table of contents until he found what he was looking for, and turned to the appropriate chapter.  
  
_Love Spells_  
  
Now why hadn't he thought of this before? He could make Subaru fall in love with him without having to waiting possibly months for others to get around to it. All he needed to do was follow the directions!  
  
Congratulating himself for the brilliant idea, Kamui hefted the book and read aloud.  
  
"To cast the spell, you need the following items: a picture of your target." He smiled, thinking of the two thick photo albums dedicated solely to Subaru at home. "I have plenty of those. A lock of hair... I wonder if single strands of hair collected over a lifetime counts. Hm... a personal belonging of importance to the target... something personal... personal..."  
  
Kamui thought over the pens, pencils, and erasers he had "borrowed" over the years. They didn't seem to fit the importance requirement. The same went for other random Subaru-philia, like the school necktie, broken shoelace, used chopsticks preserved in its unwashed state, old math test (89%, not bad for someone who missed so much class), and various other knickknacks in his mini-Subaru shrine.  
  
"Well, I suppose I could swipe something," Kamui murmured, brows drawn together in concentration. The only problem was, Subaru wasn't attached to material things. The dearest things to him were not actually things. Subaru loved Hokuto, Seishirou (as much as Kamui was loathe to admit it), his friends, his grandmother, random strangers on the street, animals, lonely or vengeful spirits that possessed his clients...  
  
Even his distinctive outfits were something to be endured out of love for his more fashionable daring sister, rather than something he took pride and joy in. And Kamui had to admit, Subaru's wardrobe was even worse than his own. And Hokuto... geez... she was cosplaying weird animals or objects half the time...  
  
"Ouch!" Kamui yelped in pain as someone stepped on his foot. Well, stomped would have been a more accurate description.  
  
"Oops. Sorry!" Hokuto said, not sounding sorry at all. Kamui realized he had continued to talk out loud, and she had caught every word of his criticism.  
  
He tried to cover up his embarrassment. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Research," Hokuto replied matter-of-factly and thrust her selections at Kamui.  
  
Depression. Coping with Loss. Dissociative Identity Disorder.  
  
"These are psychology books," he noted with surprise.  
  
Hokuto winked at him, wagging a finger. "Bingo."  
  
"But, Hokuto, I don't think any of these apply to you. You should look into histrionic personality disorder... or maybe even ADHD."  
  
She took Coping with Loss and immediately hit him over the head with it.  
  
"Ouch!" Kamui shrank back, rubbing his head.  
  
"They're not for me, dummy. They're for Subaru."  
  
Kamui perked up at Subaru's name. "Is he working on another job? He hasn't been to school for the past two days." _Since that day he went to meet Seishirou and confess his love_. Kamui winced at the implication.  
  
Hokuto looked unusually solemn. That wasn't it, at least. She would be the first in line to congratulate Seishirou and Subaru if they were to become a couple.  
  
"Wait, you've been absent, too," he realized, slow as he was in all things not directly Subaru-related. "Is there a crisis in the family?"  
  
"Actually, yes."  
  
"Your grandmother's fallen ill?" Kamui guessed.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Maverick onmyoujis are causing trouble?"  
  
Another shake.  
  
"The gov—"  
  
"It's better if I show you," Hokuto interrupted, grabbing his wrist and tugging him along.  
  
"Wait, but your books—"  
  
"I already checked them out."  
  
"_My_ books—"  
  
"You can return for them later. This is more important."  
  
"But I'm supposed to—"  
  
"Kamui, shut up and let's go," she said, having already half-dragged him to the entrance.  
  
And so, when Keiichi returned triumphant with the last round of books, ready to celebrate over crepes before starting the actual work, he found Kamui had ditched him.  
  
"Shirou-kun," he mourned briefly before his genki smile came back. "You're such a mysterious person. I'll dedicate my life to understanding you," he vowed, pumping an arm in the air.  
  
-----  
  
It was a depressing place. The decor itself was fine; the walls were a shade of light green designed to calm the nerves and give one a feeling of contentment, and several brightly colored pictures lined the walls. Large windows brought in natural light, but still, all of this couldn't change the fact that the occupants were the saddest, most depressing bunch of people Kamui had ever seen.  
  
They sat listlessly in a loose circle, neither talking or moving. Lackluster eyes didn't have the energy or the interest to look up as Kamui followed Hokuto further into the room.  
  
"Who are these people?" Kamui whispered, not that anyone showed signs of listening. "And why are we here?"  
  
"This is a meeting of D.O.A. Depressive Oversleepers Anonymous," she clarified when Kamui looked blankly at her.  
  
Now that she mentioned it, Kamui could see several of the people attempting to sleep in the armless, wooden chairs, with minimal success.  
  
One boy slumped sideways as his muscles relaxed, then fell off his chair completely and toppled to the floor.  
  
"Erk!" he cried, rubbing his shoulder in pain.  
  
"Subaru!" Kamui rushed over, eyes widening in recognition.  
  
"Oh, hi, Kamui," Subaru said sheepishly, clamboring back to his seat. "Hello, Hokuto-chan," he greeted.  
  
"Mou, Subaru. I brought you here so you would at least _try_ to stay conscious."  
  
"Brought me? You abducted me while I was asleep and dumped me here," Subaru retorted peevishly, now alert enough to remember he was mad at her. "Do you know how disconcerting it was waking up in a strange place by myself?"  
  
Not the least bit repentant, Hokuto shrugged. "You've been sleeping ever since Sei-chan tried to kill you," she said nonchalantly, arms out in a what-else-was-I-supposed-to-do gesture. "It's time to face your problems instead of running away Within."  
  
"Seishirou tried to kill you?!?!?!" Kamui screeched, then clapped a hand over his mouth. Glancing around, he saw that no one had so much as twitched. "Why?" he asked, lowering his voice anyway.  
  
"I don't know," Subaru moped. "I told him how much I loved him," he blushed and averted his gaze as he said this, "and he told me how much he wanted to kill me." Tears sparkled in Subaru's oversized eyes as he looked up, gripping the hem of Kamui's shirt desperately. "I-I must have done something wrong!"  
  
"So instead of asking what, he ran away and decided to spend the rest of his life nearly comatose," Hokuto finished, exasperated. Subaru didn't deny it. "You talk some sense into him, Kamui!"  
  
"Me? Um. Okay." Kamui turned to Subaru, racking his brain for something to say. "Subaru, uh... what are you doing?" he asked, dumbfounded, as Subaru started to squirm around.  
  
"They deliberately design these to be unsleepable in," Subaru muttered sullenly as he contorted his body into all sorts of interesting positions. "I have to learn Kakyou-san's secret."  
  
"Kakyou-san?"  
  
Subaru pointed.  
  
A thin, pale man sat serenly four chairs away. His face was partially covered with long, ash blond hair as he dozed with perfect ease.  
  
"Amazing," Kamui murmured.  
  
"Whoa, I agree! He's hot!" Hokuto drooled. "Subaru-chan! Introduce me!"  
  
"No!" Subaru pouted, folding his arms across his chest. "These meetings are to help me, not to get you a date, remember?"  
  
"Kyaa, stop being such a meaniehead!" Hokuto throttled him. "You're not getting any better so _I_ might as well get something out of it."  
  
Subaru was saved when a red-headed woman entered the room briskly.  
  
"Ahem! Everyone, please take a seat. The meeting is about to start."  
  
  
tbc...  
----------  
October 12, 2002 


	5. Chapter 5: The Sakurazukamori, Revealed

The last chapter was kind of... blah... so I'm posting another one. Kakyou is his X age, since he didn't technically appear in Tokyo Babylon (that I know of). Karen is sort of OOC.  
  
PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X _both_ occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.  
  
  


**Be Careful What You Wish For  
Chapter 5: The Sakurazukamori, Revealed**

  
  
As everyone got settled — this didn't take long as most people were already seated — Kamui headed toward the door.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
  
Kamui blinked at the speaker, the red-headed woman who had called out the start of the meeting. Currently, she had her hands on her hips, looking very much like a disapproving mother.  
  
"Uh... I don't belong here," he said helplessly, looking over at Hokuto for support. He had to locate her first, since she had moved from her twin's side to sit next to the pretty blonde man — Kakyou, Subaru had called him — she had been eyeing earlier. She met Kamui's eyes and shrugged, signalling that she, at least, was staying.  
  
"Nonsense. It's obvious by that sad, pathetic look on your face that you're suffering from depression. And a severe case of denial," she accused, when he opened his mouth to protest. "Sit."  
  
Cowed, he sat down next to Subaru.  
  
"Now then," the woman said warmly, doing a complete 180 in her personality, "Welcome to a meeting of D.O.A. I'm your counselor, Karen." She flashed a beautiful smile as she slipped off her coat and draped it over the back of her chair, revealing a stunning body. She slid gracefully into her chair, the slit running up her dress gaping open and presenting a nice view of her long legs as she crossed them.  
  
Formerly disinterested people snapped to attention. Kamui was impressed, thinking that this ability to shake even the most apathetic out of their indifference must come in handy in her line of work.  
  
"I see a lot of old faces," Karen continued, fishing out a notepad and a pen from her purse. She had to bend a bit to do so, displaying cleavage. "But since people come on different days and there are some first-timers, I want everyone to say their given name and tell a bit about themselves."  
  
She chewed on the end of her pen, making the mundane act look more seductive than thoughtful. Men were salivating, because shockingly enough, there are straight men out there. Just not the good ones. Unless they were already taken, of course.  
  
"You," she pointed to Kamui. "Start."  
  
Nervous, Kamui stood. "Uh... my name is Kamui." He looked at Subaru for guidance but his friend was staring blankly at his hat, which he'd removed from his head and placed onto his lap. "I'm a sophomore at CLAMP and an only child. I live with my mom and I don't know who my father is and kids used to make fun of me because of it, until I met Kotori and—"  
  
"We don't want your life story, Kamui-san," Karen interrupted. "Just tell us why you're here."  
  
_Because you wouldn't let me leave_.  
  
"Um. I'm in love with this person and he doesn't feel the same?" Kamui ventured and was rewarded with a smile.  
  
"That's good. Admitting your problem is the first step to healing," she encouraged. "So what do you plan to do about it?"  
  
"Well, I went to see this guy who can grant Wishes, and promised him my soul in exchange for getting the guy I like to like me back."  
  
Karen sweatdropped. "I see." She scribbled, _Kamui — delusional, needs reality check_, on her notepad. She paused then added, _cute, probably a virgin, would make a nice uke_. "That doesn't sound like a very good solution."  
  
Kamui shook his head sadly. "No, it isn't. It didn't work."  
  
_Big surprise._  
  
Karen indicated that he could be reseated and nodded at Subaru to go.  
  
"Subaru. My sister forced me to come." He glared at Hokuto before giving it up as wasted effort, as she was too busy making little braids out of the sleeping Kakyou's hair to notice.  
  
"The person I love wants to kill me."  
  
"I'm sure that's not true," Karen soothed, and Kamui reached over to pat his arm reassuringly.  
  
"Yes, it is," Subaru wailed, crushing his hat in distress. "He told me he's been waiting seven years for the perfect moment to stab his hand through my heart."  
  
"Lovely," Karen commented, deciding to move on. They went around the room with no further incidents until they hit Kakyou.  
  
"Kakyou-san, it's your turn."  
  
Yawning, Kakyou cracked open one eye before reshutting it. "Must we do this every time?" he asked wearily. "Three times a week for the past 10 years... it gets a bit redundant."  
  
Giving him a patient smile, Karen waited.  
  
"Fine. I'm Kakyou, 26 years of age. My parents hate me and I hate them for forcing me to dreamgaze for their own political ends. Boys hated me when they found out I wasn't a girl, and girls hated me for being prettier than they were, except for one I met in a dream. I fell in love with her only I never saw her again," he recited monotonously. "I'm constantly on the search for her, which is why I spend all of my time comatose, except to attend these stupid meetings."  
  
"Well, that's just dumb!" Hokuto exploded, startling everyone. "You can't waste your li—"  
  
Her voice trailed off as Kakyou turned to look at her. Golden eyes locked on green and both froze.  
  
Then, "You!" they cried out simultaneously.  
  
"Karen-san?" Seiichiro peeked in. He had just finished the meeting with the self-help group he ran — Improving Family Relations — and being the courteous gentleman he was, was wondering if his coworker needed a lift home. After all, he wouldn't want such a lovely young woman walking home by herself, even if the sun was still out.  
  
"Ah, I see you're not finished yet," he said hastily. "I'll leave you to it, then."  
  
"No! We're quite through!" Karen jumped up, grabbing her purse and coat. "Till next time," she tossed over her shoulder as she hurried over to Seiichiro and took his arm possessively. The mild-mannered man reddened slightly but didn't protest.  
  
"So I see you're wearing that tie I gave you, Seiichiro," she purred, tugging the article in question playfully. His answer was lost as they disappeared down the hallway.  
  
"She didn't even get to everyone," Kamui stated.  
  
Subaru nodded. "Oh well, let's go. Hokuto-chan!" he called out.  
  
"You guys go ahead," she waved dismissively. "I'll catch up." She turned back to talk rapidly at Kakyou, who was smiling and looking quite happy.  
  
Shrugging, Kamui and Subaru left.  
  
"So, do you want to talk about it?" Kamui asked as they shuffled slowly down the street. Subaru seemed to have too little energy to go any faster.  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"It's just... I don't understand him at all!" Subaru made a frustrated noise. "He acted so nice before."  
  
"Ah, but that was part of the bet."  
  
Seishirou stepped into their path, smiling predatorily. While dressed in the usual white button-down, slacks, and tie, he was missing the glasses Subaru was so used to seeing him in. "Konnichiwa, Subaru-kun," he purred.  
  
"Se-se-seishirou-san!" Subaru turned white and hid behind Kamui.  
  
"Sei-chan!" Hokuto came running up and glomped him. "What's this I hear about you trying to kill my brother?"  
  
Seishirou laughed as he regarded the bolder Sumeragi with amusement. "Are you going to try to stop me? You aren't powerful enough, you know."  
  
Blinking, Hokuto let go and took a few steps back, realizing that there was indeed something different about Seishirou. Beneath the smiling face was a sort of coldness she had never before felt.  
  
She studied him speculatively. "You won't kill him," she finally declared. _At least, I hope not._  
  
"I'm the Sakurazukamori—"  
  
There was a collective gasp at the revelation.  
  
"—and he's a Sumeragi. We're destined to fight."  
  
"I'm a Sumeragi, too," Hokuto argued, "and you're not trying to kill _me_."  
  
Seishirou grinned evilly, making her a lot less confident.  
  
"Uh... are you?"  
  
"NO!" Concern for his twin made Subaru forget his own fears, and he stumbled forward to place himself between Seishirou and Hokuto. He tilted his chin defiantly to look up at the older man, expressive eyes watering and lower lip quavering. Seishirou thought he looked quite adorable in his vulnerablility.  
  
"Please, Seishirou-san, don't harm Hokuto. Do anything you want to me, but leave her alone!"  
  
Seishirou seemed to consider this. "_Anything_?" he repeated, with a suggestive lift of the brow. He ran a finger along Subaru's jawline and blood rushed up to stain the pale skin crimson.  
  
"Seishirou-san!"  
  
"Haha, just kidding!" Seishirou lifted his hands, palms outward to display his harmlessness.  
  
Subaru, Hokuto, and Kamui relaxed, sighing with relief.  
  
"I'm just after Subaru-kun's blood. I won't kill you, Hokuto-chan."  
  
This was not reassuring in the least. Kamui wished he could do something, but Seishirou was taller, broader, and physically stronger than he was. And if his claim to being the Sakurazukamori was true, he had enough magical power to rival the Sumeragi Head. Kamui could do nothing but watch.  
  
"Why? What did I do, Seishirou-san?" Subaru half-whispered, feeling the tears spill over. They flowed unchecked as he cast his eyes downward, too ashamed to wipe them away but unable to stop crying.  
  
Then, unbelievably gentle hands swept over his cheeks, brushing the tears away. Subaru trembled slightly as Seishirou knelt down on one knee and took his left hand.  
  
"He's going to propose!" Hokuto cried excitedly. "Oh my baby brother, all grown up and ready to be a bride."  
  
Kamui shot her a dirty look.  
  
"Subaru-kun." The voice was extremely compelling, and Subaru looked deep into the amber eyes of the one he loved, even now.  
  
"Do you remember our first meeting? Under the sakura tree?"  
  
Kamui watched in shock as Seishirou removed Subaru's glove.  
  
_What's he doing? Subaru never takes those off!_  
  
Subaru had a faraway expression on his face, as if remembering something distant. "You're that boy," he breathed out. "The one I dream about."  
  
"Yes," Seishirou said triumphantly. "And we made a bet then. When you were ready, I would spend a year with you. And if you could make me feel true feelings for you, you would get to live. If not, I would kill you."  
  
He caressed the naked hand and Subaru shivered as his nerve endings tingled delightfully. He nearly fainted as Seishirou kissed the back, making a reverse pentagram flare up to the surface.  
  
"You lost." The words were final, leaving no room for argument.  
  
"How could you agree to something like that?" Kamui burst out, unable to contain his rage. Here was this evil person, trying to _kill_ Subaru, and Subaru wasn't doing a thing to stop him. In fact, his hand was tightening over the Sakurazukamori's, a starry look in his eyes as if amazed by the simple sensation of holding hands.  
  
As if hearing Kamui's thoughts, Subaru pulled his hand back, albeit reluctantly.  
  
"I... I couldn't hear, because of the wind," he excused feebly. He didn't want to admit that he had been too flustered when the boy had started whispering in his ear to pay attention to what was being said.  
  
"Well, this is where it ends," Seishirou said casually, standing back up and brushing dirt from his pants. He placed a friendly hand on Subaru's shoulder and smiled. "Well, it's been fun, Subaru-kun. Sayonara."  
  
"WAIT!!!!"  
  
His other hand, poised for the killing strike, halted midair.  
  
"You said one year. But it's only been 10 months since you remet Subaru," Hokuto pointed out.  
  
Seishirou puzzled over this. "You're right. How very peculiar," he muttered. "It's not like me to miscalculate."  
  
"So Subaru-chan has two more months to make you fall in love with him!" Hokuto concluded brightly.  
  
"Aa... I guess it's only fair." Seishirou looked disappointed as he lowered his hand, but then schooled his expression into that of the kind veterinarian that Subaru had fallen in love with.  
  
"Let's forget this happened for now," he said cheerfully as he helped a bewildered Subaru put his glove back on. "Come, I'll treat everyone to coffee and dessert."  
  
"Yay!" Hokuto cheered, bounding on ahead. "I want a parfait! And a chocolate donut!"  
  
Kamui nudged Subaru into moving.  
  
"Your life may possibly be weirder than mine," he sighed.  
  
  
tbc...  
----------  
October 13, 2002 


	6. Chapter 6: Okay, Here's the Plan

THANKS TO: **panatlantic** (glad to see i didn't scare you off), **marian** (borrow... subaru? *smacks head* _i_ never would've thought of that... guess i'm as dense as Kamui. wait, i _am_ borrowing him for the purposes of this fic. but sadly, i'm no professional subaru-stalker ;_;), **Akiya** (i'll try to keep the chapters coming!), **Silver Hawk** (ahahah, yes! i love silly sei-chan), and **Hitori** (glad people are finding this funny; that _was_ my intention ^_^).   
  
PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X _both_ occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.  
  
  


**Be Careful What You Wish For  
Chapter 6: Okay, Here's the Plan**

  
  
Hokuto leaned half across the table, gossamer wings attached to her back fluttering. "What we need," she announced grandly, "is a gameplan!"  
  
"What gameplan? My life is over," Subaru despaired. "If I couldn't make him feel anything in ten months, what chance do I have with only two?"  
  
"That's because you were too shy for it to go anywhere." Hokuto sat back, looking a little put-out. "I was hoping he'd eventually wear down your resistance and you'd be happy together, but I guess that's not going to happen."  
  
"Obviously not," Kamui snorted.  
  
Hokuto sighed, then brightened with usual optimism. "So instead, you have to take the initiative. Subaru-chan, you're going to seduce the Sakurazukamori."  
  
"Oh, really?" Seishirou produced his glasses, which he obviously didn't need, from his coat pocket. He slid them back on his face anyway. "This should prove interesting," he said smilingly at the agitated boy next to him.  
  
Subaru mumbled something.  
  
"What was that, Subaru-kun?" Seishirou inquired politely. He slid closer along the vinyl booth, trapping Subaru against the wall. "I didn't quite catch it."  
  
Rather than answering, the embarrassed teen leaned forward toward his sister. "I-I can't seduce him," he whispered.  
  
"Do you want to _die_, Subaru?"  
  
There was a small shake of the head.  
  
"Then you have no choice!" she chirped, sounding far too happy with the situation.  
  
A waitress, different from the one that had taken their order earlier, came by to set down small plates of dessert and serve cups of tea and coffee. The shiny gold-plated nametag pinned across her obviously braless bust read 'Kanoe.'  
  
Seishirou thanked her warmly, and emboldened, she shot him a flirtatious look. He was certainly a welcome change from the obnoxious teenagers or parents with grubby children that made up most of her clientele. And if his simple yet classy clothes were any indication, he would be a good tipper.  
  
"Is there anything else you need?" Kanoe asked coyly.  
  
Hokuto glared at her, eyes hard flints at the blatant come-on. "We're perfectly fine," she cut in loudly before Seishirou had a chance to answer.  
  
Kanoe was about to snipe back, but realized that this girl might be the man's younger sister. She was certainly too young to be his girlfriend, and the flamboyant way she was dressed would embarrass anyone but a relation into not being seen with her in public.  
  
So Kanoe held her tongue and directed a sultry smile at Seishirou. "I'll check back in a while," she cooed and clicked away in her heels, confident that he was checking out her ass.  
  
"That was a little rude, Hokuto-chan," Seishirou revoked mildly, when Subaru didn't. He poured cream into his coffee and stirred it. "It isn't like I'm interested. She was just doing her job."  
  
"I know... but... it just made me so mad!" Hokuto admitted with a rueful grin. "You belong only to Subaru, and Subaru only to you."  
  
Next to her, Kamui glowered. Why did she automatically assume Seishirou and Subaru would be perfect together? Subaru certainly didn't look happy; in fact, he looked downright miserable.  
  
Currently, the Sumeragi head was shredding a napkin to halves, fourths, eighths, sixteenths, thirty-seconds... he stopped only when the pieces became too tiny and the stack too thick to rip through. Then he'd empty the fragments on the table, grab a new one, and repeat the cycle.  
  
"Subaru-kun." Seishirou put his hands over Subaru's, forcibly stopping the nervous action. He pried the napkin shreds from reluctant hands and dumped them on the table. "Your tea is getting cold."  
  
Obediently, Subaru picked up his cup and took a small sip. He set it back down but kept his hands wrapped around it.  
  
Kamui sulked. His tea was getting cold, too, but did anyone care? Nooo...  
  
Not that he expected or wanted Seishirou's attention, but it would've been nice for _someone_ to notice and comment.  
  
_If Sorata was here, he'd be picking on me to eat right now, saying I need the nourishment if I want to grow._  
  
He wouldn't, of course, because Seishirou was paying for it, and eating the scrumptious-looking pie a la mode in front of him would be giving in to his one-sided rival for his one-sided love.  
  
Vanilla ice cream melted temptingly down the sides of the flaky crust, and Kamui's mouth began to water.  
  
Damn the man for attacking his weakness in such a sly manner. He was the evilest of evils!  
  
Kamui glared accusingly at Seishirou, silently blaming him for his vanilla ice cream fixation.  
  
"Mm... this is delicious!" Hokuto enthused, not having lost her appetite in the least.  
  
"I'm glad it meets to your liking."  
  
"Your cake look good, too, Sei-chan!" she said, as if all was normal with the world and she _wasn't_ sitting with an old friend who turned out to be a family nemesis threatening her brother's life.  
  
Seishirou obliged by sliding his plate toward her. "By all means."  
  
Hokuto stuffed a generous helping into her mouth. "Yummy!" she squealed, after she had gulped it down. "It's so good! Ne, Sei-chan..." she started sweetly.  
  
Familiar with that calculating I-want-something-and-I'm-going-to-get-it expression, he retaliated with an innocent smile of his own. "Did you ever go on that diet, Hokuto-chan?"  
  
"Hidoi~!!!" Hokuto cried, but pushed the cake back to its rightful owner.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to try some, Subaru-kun?" Seishirou cajoled, prying off a forkful and holding it out.  
  
"I- No thank you." Subaru gripped his cup tighter, staring down into the translucent liquid to avoid eye contact.  
  
He had to remind himself that in truth, Seishirou didn't care for him and that the kindness was just an act. It was hard not to be lulled back into a sense of security though, listening to the usual inane chatter and the teasing innuendos about his and Seishirou's so-called relationship. It was almost as if he had imagined the whole part about Seishirou being the Sakurazukamori.  
  
Seishirou feigned disappointment. "You don't like this place, Subaru-kun? I regret that I can't afford anyplace fancier, but I'm merely a poor veterinarian," he lied. "Not nearly good enough for someone like you."  
  
"We all know that's not true," Kamui said disgustedly.  
  
"You mean I _am_ good enough then?" Seishirou beamed, neatly twisting the words to his advantage. "Thank you, Kamui-kun. I know Subaru-kun will feel better about us now that we have your blessing."  
  
"That's not what I meant!" Kamui objectedly hotly, slamming his fists down in frustration. Cups rattled, and Subaru yelped as tea sloshed over the rim and onto his hands.  
  
"Subaru! I'm so sorry! I wasn't—" Kamui flustered, reaching across the table for some napkins. He only succeeded in knocking over his own cup and making a bigger mess.  
  
"It's okay," Subaru reassured. "I was just startled. It wasn't hot or anything." He considered taking off his gloves, as they were getting heavier and clammier as tea soaked into the fabric.  
  
"I guess I don't even need these," he said doubtfully, "since they didn't hide me from Seishirou-san in the first place."  
  
Subaru contemplated the situation. It had always bothered him how naturally Seishirou had come into his life, and stuck around despite the large age difference and his inherent reservedness. He had harbored the suspicion that Seishirou liked the much more bubbly Hokuto, and simply put up with her twin as part of the package. It made sense then, that Seishirou was just being agreeable in playing along with Hokuto's jokes, as Subaru did nothing but blush and stammer like an idiot in return. Seishirou couldn't possibly be interested in someone as shy and uninteresting as him!  
  
But now, he was learning that it was the other way around; that Seishirou was putting up with Hokuto for Subaru's sake, and that it was because of _him_ that Seishirou had been around for the past ten months. True, it was with the intention of winning a bet by not liking him and eventually killing him — hardly a flattering reason — but still. At least his fears of coming between the two people dearest to him wouldn't come true.  
  
Subaru reached a decision. Turning, he held his hands up.  
  
"Would you?"  
  
A faint look of surprise crossed Seishirou's face at the other's forwardness, but he removed the wet gloves, laying them side by side on the table while Kamui and Hokuto gaped.  
  
"Subaru-chan?" Hokuto said questioningly.  
  
"You're the one who said I need to seduce him." Subaru turned a delicate shade of pink. "I don't want to die, and it would be unfair to make Seishirou-san go back on his promise."  
  
"Always so concerned about others," Seishirou said fondly, entwining their fingers together. The skin was perfectly smooth and white, and faint tracings of the Sakurazukamori mark became visible as he raised the hand to his lips.  
  
Subaru followed the movement breathlessly. He waited impatiently as slightly parted lips hovered, not quite touching his hand. When it became apparent that Seishirou was waiting for something — permission, perhaps — Subaru looked up and raised a brow.  
  
Satisfied that he had Subaru's full attention, Seishirou lowered his head and took in a finger, sucking lightly.  
  
"Gah!" Kamui's eyes bugged out.  
  
Instead of pulling away, Subaru scooted closer, practically in the older man's lap. He rested his free hand on Seishirou's thigh, tentative at first but gaining certainty as an arm encircled his waist, drawing him closer still.  
  
Hokuto sputtered, speechless for the first time in her life.  
  
"Guys! We're in a public cafe!" Kamui kicked them under the table, not caring who he hit.  
  
"Oh, right." Seishirou casually stopped what he was doing, although he kept his arm possessively around Subaru. He signalled for the check and paid, with Kanoe slipping him the receipt with her phone number written on it.  
  
"We must continue this later," Seishirou addressed Subaru smugly. "Perhaps you'd like me to stay over tonight?"  
  
Hesitantly, Subaru started to nod.  
  
"No," Hokuto said firmly, finally finding her voice. "No nookie."  
  
Everyone looked at her in surprise. Kamui looked grateful as well.  
  
"No? I thought you wanted him to seduce me," Seishirou said curiously.  
  
"I do, but the bet is to have you fall in love with him. And men lose respect for girls — er, boys — that are easy, viewing them simply as sex objects."  
  
"I see."  
  
"So, Subaru-chan, do whatever else you can to make him fall for you, but save the sex for marriage, 'kay?" she said flippantly.  
  
"You're telling him to be a cock-tease," Seishirou stated with morbid amusement.  
  
She met his gaze steadily. "Right."  
  
"He won't be of age to marry for over a year, you realize."  
  
"Yes, I realize."  
  
"And you expect me to be patient and wait?"  
  
"What's another year when you've already waited so long?" Hokuto asked rhetorically.  
  
"True." Seishirou loosened several bills and threw them on the table as tip. He pocketed the receipt and Hokuto narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Sei-chan, no sleeping with the waitress," she admonished.  
  
He gave her a guilty look, but pulled the receipt back out and handed it over. Hokuto crumpled it into a ball and chucked it into Subaru's cup, where it met a watery death.  
  
"Score!" she whooped.  
  
That done, the four trooped over toward the exit, Hokuto humming happily, Subaru fluctuating between apprehension and excitement, Kamui looking royally pissed off, and Seishirou thinking pensively.  
  
Seishirou reached it first, and held the door open for the others in his customary gentlemanly fashion. He stopped Hokuto as she passed by.  
  
Looking very serious, he asked his question.  
  
"Does a blowjob count as sex?"  
  
*whump*  
  
Subaru had fainted.  
  
  
tbc...  
----------  
October 19, 2002 


	7. Chapter 7: Subaru, I Love You!

THANKS TO: **Steffi Anderson** (heh, i need to put in more sub/kam scenes, don't i?), **Akiya** (silliness seems more natural in TB setting, ne?), **ky-lin** (*huggles* thanks for both the feedback and the comment on my blog!), **Mika** (ah, you have no idea how wacky it'll get ^_^), **yamatoforever** (*evil snicker* oh, fuuma will most definitely come back out), **Agent420** (yay to fluff ^__^), **Autumn** (ouch! abuse, i say!), and **Hitori** (i'm mean only out of love ^^;;). Sorry for the slow update. Can you tell how out of practice I am?  
  
PREMISE: Tokyo Babylon and X _both_ occur in the year 1999. This means that Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokuto retain their TB ages/personalities.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tokyo Babylon/X and their characters are not mine.  
  
  


**Be Careful What You Wish For  
Chapter 7: Subaru, I Love You!**

  
  
"Well, the way I see it, two things can happen," Karen stated as she sat back in her chair, tapping her fingers together. The white lab coat and black-framed glasses made her look very scholarly, if one ignored the fact that she wore nothing but lacy black lingerie underneath.  
  
Which Kamui did. He was too preoccupied with his current dilemma, which he had just finished spilling to the counselor, to notice something as trivial as a well-endowed woman sitting half-dressed and cross-legged in front of him.  
  
"Number one," Karen held up an index finger, "Subaru-san will lose the bet and will promptly be killed."  
  
"That can't happen!" Kamui cried, his heart giving a little twist at the thought. He gave her a tortured look that plainly said, _fix it!_  
  
"Now, now," Karen said consolingly. "I'm here to help."  
  
Kamui brightened.  
  
"You can show Seishirou-san the advantages of keeping a pleading little uke like Subaru-san around. Point out what a cute, virgin ass he has, how he'll never insist on being on top, his willingness to please, the wild threesome possibilities with his lookalike twin sister—" she ticked off.  
  
"What?" Kamui interjected. "Subaru would never—"  
  
"Why not? Are you saying that thought has never crossed _your_ mind, Kamui-san?"  
  
"Of course not!" But of course, now that she mentioned it, the image of a writhing threesome sprang to mind, with him in between the two Sumeragi siblings. In fact, the more he tried not to think of it, the more the idea persisted. It was suddenly so hot in the room.  
  
Karen smiled knowingly. "There's no need to be embarrassed, Kamui-san. It's perfectly healthy for a boy your age to fantasize about sex with his best friend and best friend's sister."  
  
"I wasn't fantasizing!" he denied vehemently.  
  
"Mmhmm. Then what's that?" she asked, unconvinced, pointing to the evidence in his pants.  
  
The door burst open, saving him from having to answer.  
  
"Subaru!" Kamui was about to die from embarrassment and quickly moved to cover his erection. Belatedly, he added, "What are you doing here?"  
  
Subaru walked toward him, steps quick and purposeful. "I was looking for _you_, Kamui."  
  
He stopped mere inches away and clasped Kamui's hands in his own. Normally, Kamui would have welcomed the opportunity, but right now, it just felt awkward. He felt like a naughty kid having been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  
  
And then Subaru was leaning even closer, eyes soft and warm in a way that made him turn want to melt into a puddle of goo.  
  
"There's something I want to tell you," Subaru murmured, letting one hand drift upward for a second to brush back a lock of Kamui's hair in an unconscious gesture of tenderness.  
  
"W-what is it?"  
  
Subaru smiled with genuine feeling. "I won the bet. Seishirou-san said he loves me."  
  
Kamui had never wilted so quickly in his life.  
  
"Oh." He dropped disappointed eyes back to the floor. He told himself to stop being so selfish and be happy for his friend but it was so hard not to feel bitter when he thoughts of the Sakurazukamori doing lecherous things to Subaru filled his mind.  
  
For a second, when Subaru had seemed so happy to see him, he had thought that...  
  
"Isn't this great?" Subaru asked excitedly. "And it's all thanks to you."  
  
Kamui wrenched back in horror. "What did _I_ do?" he blurted out and then winced. He sounded as if Subaru was accusing him of a crime, not thanking him.  
  
"Well," Subaru tapped him on the nose playfully, "if you hadn't advised me to be honest with my feelings, I _never_ would have said anything to Seishirou-san. The bet would have been over before I had a chance to make him fall in love with me, and I would be dead, not helping Seishirou-san move into my place."  
  
_Why me? And I can't even be upset because this is what's best for Subaru. My life totally sucks,_ Kamui thought morosely.  
  
"I owe you my life."  
  
"I'd rather have your heart," Kamui mumbled.  
  
"Huh?" Subaru asked naviely.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
An awkward moment passed. Well, it was awkward for Kamui, but not for Subaru, who was too happy about his good fortune and ignorant about his friend's amorous feelings for him.  
  
"I'm happy for you," Kamui finally said, tone flat and insincere, but he managed the words at least. He forcefully reminded himself that this meant Subaru would live, and he'd at least get to see him in school.  
  
_From a far distance. Knowing I'll never be able to schedule mini-dates for ice cream or tutoring. Seeing him go home to the Sakurazukamori, his lover._  
  
Impulsively, he threw himself at Subaru in a tight embrace, feeling the other rock back slightly before steadying and hugging him back.  
  
"I'm happy for you," Kamui murmured, as if repetition would make it become reality. And it did sound more sincere. "So happy." Tears were prickling in his eyes and he clung to Subaru desperately. "Happy."  
  
"Uh, Kamui," Subaru said uneasily, looking down at the boy attached to his waist. He put his hands on Kamui's shoulders and pushed back gently. "You can let go now."  
  
"I'm sorry," Kamui sniffled, discreetly wiping his eyes as he put distance between them once more.  
  
"A-are you _crying_?"  
  
"I'm just so happy for you," Kamui sobbed piteously.  
  
Subaru gave him a look. "Kamui," he said warningly.  
  
"I'm sorry." To his horror, the tears kept coming. "It's just... Subaru, I love you!"  
  
The stunned expression on Subaru's face was enough to let him know he was correct all those years in keeping quiet. He wanted to recant his confession but didn't think Subaru would buy it. So he plunged ahead.  
  
"I can't help it! You're just so perfect, sweet and self-sacrificing, you always put others before you but never expect the same... you're so honest, and you care about _everyone_, even someone like me, who doesn't deserve your attention... you're the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. This sounds so cliched, but it's really how I feel about you!"  
  
"Since when...?" Subaru started hesitantly.  
  
"Did I start loving you?"  
  
Subaru nodded.  
  
"Since as long as I've known you," Kamui hiccuped. It felt so good letting it all out. "I wasn't going to say anything, especially now that you're official with Seishirou, but it slipped out."  
  
"I had no idea you felt that way about me." Subaru lowered his head apologetically.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kamui apologized, toeing the floor and wishing a hole would open up and swallow him up. Then, Subaru cupped his face, tilting his face upward.  
  
"Kamui, I love you too," Subaru confessed.  
  
This was unexpected.  
  
"Um. Could you repeat that please?"  
  
"I love you." Then, so that there would be no confusion, Subaru leaned down and kissed him.  
  
It was the everything he had dreamed about, and more.  
  
Once it became clear that Subaru didn't mean love in the platonic sense (i.e. when he slipped him some tongue), Kamui started to respond with enthusiasm.  
  
"Gods, Subaru, I love you, too," he moaned between kisses. "I've wanted to tell you how I felt for so long."  
  
"Well, there's no reason to hide it anymore..." Subaru's voice was growing stranger by the second. "...Shirou-kun."  
  
"Eh?!?!" Kamui jumped back at the sound of Keiichi's voice.  
  
Kotori was staring back at him, eyes full of concern. "Are you okay, Kamui-chan? You look dazed."  
  
"What happened to Subaru?" he demanded to know, pointedly ignoring the fact that he seemed to be in a wedding dress.  
  
"Subaru? He's over there."  
  
Kamui looked over to see a small figure prancing around on the rug on all fours, chibi-fied and wearing a puppy costume. Tail wagging, it leapt up and pawed at Seishirou, and the hood with the attached floppy ears slipped back to reveal that it was indeed Subaru beneath the costume.  
  
"Good boy!" Seishirou encouraged, petting the dark head lovingly. "When we get home, I'll give you a special treat."  
  
Subaru yipped happily and ran in circles around Seishirou before being scooped up. He then proceeded to lick at Seishirou's face, small pink tongue working busily.  
  
"Ohohohoho! I bet I know just what that 'special treat' is."  
  
"Now, now. Don't be jealous. There's enough Sakurazuka for everyone." With that, he shifted Subaru to the crook of one arm and swept Hokuto into his other for a tonsil-probing liplock.  
  
O_O  
  
"What the hell kind of dream was that?" Kamui grumbled, cracking his eyes open to stare up at his ceiling.  
  
He had the sinking feeling that it was going to be another terrible day.  
  
-----  
  
Sorata showed up at his door and predictably invited himself in for breakfast. Kamui scowled as Sorata piled all the pancakes onto his own plate, rambling all the while.  
  
"And then who do I run into but Arashi outside the movie theater!"  
  
"You probably stalked her there." Kamui rolled his eyes.  
  
"Ha ha ha. That's what she said!"  
  
Kamui groaned and buried his head in his hands.  
  
"Hey, are you alright?" Sorata asked in concern, after they had finished eating (or in Kamui's case, poking at the food) and were starting off toward school. "You look pale. I mean more so than usual. You're not getting sick are you?" he asked, putting a hand to Kamui's forehead.  
  
"It's nothing," Kamui waved him off. "Just didn't sleep well last night."  
  
To his surprise, Sorata didn't push the issue. The two walked along in silence, Sorata thinking about new ways to win over Arashi and Kamui cursing his terrible track record with Subaru, even in his dreams.  
  
Despite his easy willingness to sacrifice his own desires for Subaru in dreamscape, it was so much harder in real life. Everytime he told himself to let go, a little voice piped up, telling him that it was impossible; he was in for life.  
  
Friendship simply wasn't enough for him. That's why he had gone to Fuuma in the first place!  
  
_Stupid Fuuma... he didn't even do anything_, he thought irritably, _other than look hot and make me horny_.  
  
Kamui cleared his throat. "Sorata."  
  
His friend looked over at him. "What is it, Kamui?"  
  
"Remeber that thing you mentioned a week ago? About the guy that can grant Wishes?"  
  
He half-expected Sorata to keel over laughing, telling him how stupid he was in believing in such a ridiculous tale. But all he got was a, "Yeah, what about it?"  
  
"Well... how come you don't go to him about Arashi?"  
  
"You mean to get her to fall in love with me?"  
  
Kamui nodded.  
  
"But then... that wouldn't be fair, would it?" Sorata mused. "She'd have no choice about her feelings and I believe love shouldn't be forced. Or else it isn't really love."  
  
"I didn't think of it that way," Kamui flushed in shame. _I guess I really have been selfish... but I just want him so badly... even now, I can't give him up, not really. But I -do- love him! I do! That's why I can't live without him._  
  
"But h— _she_ would be happy, too," he argued. "Maybe it would have happened naturally if circumstances were different. Besides, what's wrong with being happy with the one you love, even if it _is_ a little artificial? What if their life right now is miserable because they're in love with the wrong person? Wouldn't it be better if they were with someone who would treat them right, the way they deserve to be treated?"  
  
Sorata held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I was just stating my opinion. Although you may be right."  
  
Strangely, this didn't make Kamui feel any better or justified. He felt worse.  
  
"But it wouldn't help for me anyway," Sorata continued confidently. "Arashi-neechan is already in love with me. She just doesn't know it yet."  
  
Spotting the slim figure with long dark hair entering the school gate, Sorata called out, "Arashi! Babe!"  
  
Arashi didn't turn, but her posture stiffened in annoyance before she stalked off, head held high.  
  
"Gotta go, Kamui, bye." Sorata patted his friend on the shoulder.  
  
"Arashi-neechan, don't be so cold!" he yelled, running after her.  
  
Kamui walked much more sedately to class.  
  
  
tbc...  
  
since it may take a while for me to update, i'll be emailing people back from now on, rather than giving acknowledgements and thanks in the next chapter. so if you leave an anonymous review, make sure to leave a contact!  
  
review, onegaishimasu!  
----------  
December 14, 2002 


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